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Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Switzerland

Armed forces as a share of the population in Switzerland in 2022 — 0.227%. Ranked 97 in the world out of 189. Since 1816, the indicator has risen by 0.227 pp.

2022 0.227% −0.002 pp vs 2021
World rank 97of 189
Period maximum 15.381%1940
Period minimum 0%1816

Trend over time

1816–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Switzerland, 1816–202205101520181618371858187919001921194219631984200520221816: 0%1820: 0%1824: 0%1828: 0%1832: 0%1836: 0%1840: 0%1844: 0%1848: 0%1852: 0%1856: 0%1860: 0%1864: 0%1868: 0%1872: 0%1876: 0%1880: 0%1884: 0%1888: 0%1892: 0%1896: 0%1900: 0%1904: 0%1908: 0%1912: 0%1916: 6.438%1920: 0%1924: 0%1928: 0%1932: 0%1936: 0%1940: 15.381%1944: 12.03%1948: 0%1952: 0%1956: 0%1960: 0%1964: 0.345%1968: 0.412%1972: 0.392%1976: 0.394%1980: 0.364%1984: 0.388%1988: 0.349%1992: 0.451%1996: 0.551%2000: 0.379%2004: 0.218%2008: 0.301%2012: 0.313%2016: 0.25%2020: 0.243%2022: 0.227%
Change over the period: +0.227 pp Annual average: 0 pp

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Switzerland

Switzerland 0.227%
World computed 0.259%
Europe & Central Asia computed 0.447%
Western Europe computed 0.246%
High-income countries computed 0.421%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Switzerland, by year Switzerland All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.227 −0.002 pp
2021 0.23 −0.013 pp
2020 0.243 −0.002 pp
2019 0.245 −0.002 pp
2018 0.247 −0.002 pp
2017 0.248 −0.002 pp
2016 0.25 −0.002 pp
2015 0.252 −0.027 pp
2014 0.279 −0.003 pp
2013 0.283 −0.03 pp
2012 0.313 −0.016 pp
2011 0.328 +0.048 pp
2010 0.281 −0.016 pp
2009 0.297 −0.003 pp
2008 0.301 +0.248 pp
2007 0.053 −0.001 pp
2006 0.053 −0.001 pp
2005 0.054 −0.164 pp
2004 0.218 −0.166 pp
2003 0.384 −0.002 pp
2002 0.387 +0.013 pp
2001 0.374 −0.005 pp
2000 0.379 −0.152 pp
1999 0.531 −0.003 pp
1998 0.534 −0.016 pp
1997 0.55 −0.001 pp
1996 0.551 −0.002 pp
1995 0.554 −0.004 pp
1994 0.558 +0.053 pp
1993 0.504 +0.054 pp
1992 0.451 +0.127 pp
1991 0.324 −0.004 pp
1990 0.328 +0.072 pp
1989 0.256 −0.093 pp
1988 0.349 +0.043 pp
1987 0.306 −0.017 pp
1986 0.323 −0.033 pp
1985 0.355 −0.033 pp
1984 0.388 −0.048 pp
1983 0.436 +0.076 pp
1982 0.36 −0.002 pp
1981 0.362 −0.002 pp
1980 0.364 +0.002 pp
1979 0.362 +0.062 pp
1978 0.3 −0 pp
1977 0.3 −0.094 pp
1976 0.394 +0.004 pp
1975 0.39 +0.002 pp
1974 0.388 −0.001 pp
1973 0.389 −0.003 pp
1972 0.392 −0.004 pp
1971 0.395 −0.004 pp
1970 0.399 −0.009 pp
1969 0.407 −0.005 pp
1968 0.412 −0.005 pp
1967 0.417 −0.005 pp
1966 0.422 +0.081 pp
1965 0.342 −0.004 pp
1964 0.345 −0.006 pp
1963 0.351 −0.169 pp
1962 0.52 −0.013 pp
1961 0.534 +0.534 pp
1960 0 +0 pp
1959 0 +0 pp
1958 0 +0 pp
1957 0 +0 pp
1956 0 +0 pp
1955 0 +0 pp
1954 0 +0 pp
1953 0 +0 pp
1952 0 +0 pp
1951 0 +0 pp
1950 0 +0 pp
1949 0 +0 pp
1948 0 +0 pp
1947 0 +0 pp
1946 0 −11.899 pp
1945 11.899 −0.131 pp
1944 12.03 −0.114 pp
1943 12.144 −0.105 pp
1942 12.249 −0.092 pp
1941 12.341 −3.04 pp
1940 15.381 +15.381 pp
1939 0 +0 pp
1938 0 +0 pp
1937 0 +0 pp
1936 0 +0 pp
1935 0 +0 pp
1934 0 +0 pp
1933 0 +0 pp
1932 0 +0 pp
1931 0 +0 pp
1930 0 +0 pp
1929 0 +0 pp
1928 0 +0 pp
1927 0 +0 pp
1926 0 +0 pp
1925 0 +0 pp
1924 0 +0 pp
1923 0 +0 pp
1922 0 +0 pp
1921 0 +0 pp
1920 0 +0 pp
1919 0 −6.443 pp
1918 6.443 +0.013 pp
1917 6.43 −0.008 pp
1916 6.438 +0 pp
1915 6.438 +6.438 pp
1914 0 +0 pp
1913 0 +0 pp
1912 0 +0 pp
1911 0 +0 pp
1910 0 +0 pp
1909 0 +0 pp
1908 0 +0 pp
1907 0 +0 pp
1906 0 +0 pp
1905 0 +0 pp
1904 0 +0 pp
1903 0 +0 pp
1902 0 +0 pp
1901 0 +0 pp
1900 0 +0 pp
1899 0 +0 pp
1898 0 +0 pp
1897 0 +0 pp
1896 0 +0 pp
1895 0 +0 pp
1894 0 +0 pp
1893 0 +0 pp
1892 0 +0 pp
1891 0 +0 pp
1890 0 +0 pp
1889 0 +0 pp
1888 0 +0 pp
1887 0 +0 pp
1886 0 +0 pp
1885 0 +0 pp
1884 0 +0 pp
1883 0 +0 pp
1882 0 +0 pp
1881 0 +0 pp
1880 0 +0 pp
1879 0 +0 pp
1878 0 +0 pp
1877 0 +0 pp
1876 0 +0 pp
1875 0 +0 pp
1874 0 +0 pp
1873 0 +0 pp
1872 0 +0 pp
1871 0 +0 pp
1870 0 +0 pp
1869 0 +0 pp
1868 0 +0 pp
1867 0 +0 pp
1866 0 +0 pp
1865 0 +0 pp
1864 0 +0 pp
1863 0 +0 pp
1862 0 +0 pp
1861 0 +0 pp
1860 0 +0 pp
1859 0 +0 pp
1858 0 −1.214 pp
1857 1.214 +1.214 pp
1856 0 +0 pp
1855 0 +0 pp
1854 0 +0 pp
1853 0 +0 pp
1852 0 +0 pp
1851 0 +0 pp
1850 0 +0 pp
1849 0 +0 pp
1848 0 +0 pp
1847 0 +0 pp
1846 0 +0 pp
1845 0 +0 pp
1844 0 +0 pp
1843 0 +0 pp
1842 0 +0 pp
1841 0 +0 pp
1840 0 +0 pp
1839 0 +0 pp
1838 0 +0 pp
1837 0 +0 pp
1836 0 +0 pp
1835 0 +0 pp
1834 0 +0 pp
1833 0 +0 pp
1832 0 +0 pp
1831 0 +0 pp
1830 0 +0 pp
1829 0 +0 pp
1828 0 +0 pp
1827 0 +0 pp
1826 0 +0 pp
1825 0 +0 pp
1824 0 +0 pp
1823 0 +0 pp
1822 0 +0 pp
1821 0 +0 pp
1820 0 +0 pp
1819 0 +0 pp
1818 0 +0 pp
1817 0 +0 pp
1816 0 —

Western Europe, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

FR France 0.306 AT Austria 0.254 CH Switzerland 0.227 DE Germany 0.218 BE Belgium 0.198 NL Netherlands 0.19 LI Liechtenstein 0 LU Luxembourg 0
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the entire population of the country. The indicator answers the question of how large the armed forces are relative to the size of the country — an army that is large in absolute numbers in a large country can come out smaller by this measure than the small army of a small state.

Important: A close indicator — the share of the labor force — answers a different question: what part of those able to work is occupied in the army instead of the economy. In countries with young populations the two diverge noticeably.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Switzerland

Defense Armed forces personnel since 1816

A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.

Switzerland by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the labor force

What part of a country’s labor force serves in the army instead of working in the economy.

Switzerland by year Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Switzerland by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Switzerland by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Switzerland by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Switzerland by year
All indicators for Switzerland